Anaemia and trying to lose weight

[DoristheCamel]

Was not sure if to post this in here or weightloss....

I have recently been diagnosed with quite severe anaemia after a year of feeling myself slow down completely, hair loss, dizziness, pins and needles tingling. exhaustion, breathlessness and generally feeling like 102 instead of 42 etc.

I am still having more blood tests as they think its something to do with my platelets and it may be Perconious aneamia.

Anyway, I have just returned from holiday and am shocked at my holiday snaps. I knew I had gained weight but I have gone beyond chubby. I was also shocked at how tired and frankly ill and worn out I looked. I had no idea. .

I know I have gained weight as I have slowed right down and become less and less active over the past year as I have felt so odd and weak. The dizziness etc also affects my confidence of being out and about. I also because of sheer exhaustion started to become lazy with food prep and have been eating alot more packet/jar foods and easy fillers such as bread/toast/cheesy pasta etc. All wrong I know, but I am so drained some days I just dont have the energy to cook.

I have only recently started treatment which consists of a several Iron tablets a day - B12 and Ferrous Sulphate.

I have also been trying to introduce more Iron high foods into my diet but wondered if anyone here can help me with some tips - perhaps a few high iron filling meals just for me to get started. I will obviously run my ideas past my GP when I see her next week and I am not on about eating a few lettuce leaves and little else but as I have to change my diet anyway to try and introduce more iron high foods - I thought I may as well try and do it in a way to help me lose weight.

I am hoping to losing weight will also help with my energy levels. I am very overweight at 12 stone and 5ft 1 inch high - although I have never been to 8stone the NHS charts say I should be. 10stone - is my target and will get me back to a size 12 and away from the 16/18 I am currently at.

So please if you think I can offer me any advice or ideas, I would very much appreciate it.

In general, dark green vegetables and pulses, plus obviously red meat, are high in iron. Vitamin C helps absorption, caffeine reduces it, so fruit juice rather than tea or coffee with meals would help.

Hi, sorry to hear you haven't been well. Good thing now is that you are on the road to recovery. I was in a v similar position to you. I found that iron tablets made me less hungry which was good. Prior to diagnosis was eating like you. Since then have cut down on portion sizes and eaten a healthy diet. Best to make long term changes that you can stick to than follow a plan that is destined to fail. I also cut out any snacks, biscuits etc between meals. Think carefully before you put anything in your mouth and eat it slowly. I have since lost 2.5 stone and am continuing to lose weight.

Good luck!

Thank you.

Well done Orangeplum on your weightloss.

I am off shopping later and am determined to make myself feel better. I had hoped to go shopping last night but I was feeling light headed and disorientated so had to give it a miss.

So - how long did it take you start feeling normal again? I am so fed up of feeling like this. I feel like my life is on hold.

Hi, I started to feel better once my haemoglobin started to increase and got above 10. Good luck, little steps will take you a long way.

Pernicious anaemia is one of the family of auto-immune disorders.

My late df had it, but his elder sister had an under-active thyroid.

Once you have 1, or others in your family it increases the risk of others arising.

On a personal note, dd hates us as just going as far as my grand-parents, and including aunts and uncles she has

3 cases of thyroid nodule removal - 2 in direct line
3 under-active thyroids - 2 in direct line
1 instance of neutropaenia
2 instances of pernicious anaemia - 1 in direct line and
1 sarcoidosis - in direct line

but, thank goodness, no type 2 diabetes.

According to the questionnaire I found in a book about hypothyroidism, being left-handed also increases the risk, and I'm left-handed (and have a completely knackered thyroid).

Sorry meant to say that I'd get a full thyroid panel done too, just in case.

Following a 12 year wait from symptoms to diagnosis, I have 60kg to lose, but have shifted the first 10kg with slim and save fairly easily, not something I though I'd say.

Both my aunt and df had a small freckle, almost like a blood blister on the edge of their lip. Apparently that can be a sign of pernicious anaemia - my aunt had her's removed, but df didn't. He didn't receive any treatment either, but still lived to 79.

Thats interesting tb. I have blisters on my lips too.

They thought I had a slightly over active thyroid at some point (borderline) and I had thorough thyroid bloods done fairly recently, which all came back within the normal range.

This anaemia came as a shock (but relief to actually find the cause) as my GP had been considering thyroid issues for a while.

I keep shoving down the B12 and ferrous sulphate tablets but tbh they make me feel a bit off and I sometimes think I can taste blood/meat/metal in my mouth. I am determined to stick with it.

I am having more bloods done on Monday to look at platelets in more detail.

Feeling a bit down and fed up with it all today. I know I wont see improvement overnight but I am so lightheaded and have a mouth with several new blood blisters and mouth ulcers.

I have been on medication for about a month now and I seem to still be getting worse.

Sorry to winge - but I thought I would some on here to do moan because I dont want to be a misery to my family who must be sick of me being a boring old fart at the moment.

Oh you poor thing. I could have written your posts. Im the same, been feeling dreadful for about 18 months, immune system low, mouth ulcers etc. I started iron pills about a month ago and it is just this week that I have felt well enough to start taking my diet in hand. I am low carbing, which is the easiest way for me.

I have also found that the iron tablets make me a lot less hungry so its much easier to diet. I would wait a few weeks before you start beating yourself up about your diet